PACAYA

On Sunday I went to one of the three active volcanoes here in Guatemala. Pacaya is located in the department of Escuintla, and ever since 1995 it has been spewing lava, which added to its close proximity to Antigua, make it a hot tourist destination. Almost everyone from the group (25 out of 32) went to Pacaya in order to see the lava up close and personal, and we got a great deal since the Ecotourism PCV on site went up with us. The group pre-hike

Jesse is the seventh volunteer at Pacaya and he described to us how it is a really challenging site to work in since it has been so successful and people have gotten so flush with money that it is hard to convince them to change anything (for example, money is not invested in improving the park so when one day the lava stops flowing there will be no draw for tourists anymore and the local economy will be in trouble).

View of the mountain in the distance

We started climbing up Pacaya around 11am and arrived at the lookout point around 1pm. View of Pacaya from grassy knoll

The view was really magnificent, and as we ate lunch on the grassy knoll looking at the volcano and its lava flows, we could see people climbing up at the crater, which we thankfully did not attempt to do (we did not have any time…and it also seems unnecessarily dangerous). Lava flow

While we were eating lunch, tons of fog blew in, which made us feel like we were in a cloud. In the clouds with Cara, Shani and Devon

After we ate, we headed down to the lava flows, some of which are cold, and some of which are still flowing. To get to the lava flows, we had to go down a mountain of volcanic ash, which had the consistency of freshly fallen snow.

Running down the lava flow

At the bottom of the mountain we got to some of the older lava flow and walked through it to get to the newer flows. The fog was intense and some people were commenting that it looked like Armageddon.

In the lava flows

When we got to the new lava flows, we literally were only a few feet away from hot flowing lava. The sun broke out at this point as the fog dissipated and it was REALLY hot every time the heat waves from the lava blew our way (I can now appreciate how a roasted chicken feels in the oven). Along with getting to see the lava up-close, the coolest thing about being near the flow is listening to the sound of the lava as it comes down the mountain. It kind of sounds like a crackling fire as hardened pieces of lava and the fresh flow rub against each other and pieces break off.

Joe really looked like Moses from 'The Ten Commandments' when the sun broke out

The lava flows are a hot destination for s’more making, they sell marshmallows (or ‘angelitos’) at the entrance to the park, and people in the group were well prepared with crackers and chocolate. We had a bunch of sticks and roasted our marshmallows in the lava flow, and it was pretty awesome.

Lava-roasted marshmellows

While the lack of rules and enforcement of common sense dictums at national parks is unfortunate, it also led to one of the most exciting culinary experiences of my life. From now on I fear I will be a smore snob (sorry, I only eat marshmallows with that lava-smoked taste.

Lava-smoke flavored marshmellows